Dairy Queen’s annual FREE Cone Day is coming up tomorrow — Monday, March 20, 2017. This event happens nationwide and serves as a fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The donation dollar amount you give is completely up to you.

Since 1984, Dairy Queen restaurants across the United States have raised more than $100 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

For my local readers, Southeast Michigan Dairy Queen location donations will benefit Beaumont Children’s Hospital. All money raised will stay in Michigan and benefit Beaumont’s programs and services for children.

Free Cone Day is an annual tradition in our family! My girls in 2016.

Participating Michigan locations include:

Algonac – 1307 St. Clair River Drive

Ann Arbor – 2430 W Stadium

Auburn Hills – 3053 Walton Blvd

Bloomfield Twp – 6622 Telegraph

Brighton – 321 W. Grand River Ave

Burton – 4145 S. Saginaw

Burton – 2444 S. Center

Cadillac – 901 S. Mitchell

Canton – 266 N. Canton Center Rd

Charlotte – 407 S. Cochran

Cheboygan – 117 North Main

Clinton Township – 42345 Garfield Rd

Commerce Township – 1599 Union Lake Rd

Detroit – 24671 Grand River

East China – 1980 River Rd

East Tawas – 118 W. Bay St

Farmington – 22290 Middlebelt

Farmington – 33326 12 Mile Rd

Farmington – 34414 8 Mile Rd

Flat Rock – 28918 Telegraph

Fraser – 34513 Utica Rd

Garden City – 28825 Ford Rd

Gibraltar – 30030 S. Gilbraltar

Grand Blanc – 2251 Hill Rd

Greenville – 1015 W. Washington

Harrison – 3187 N. Clare Ave

Hartland – 10490 Highland Rd (M-59)

Highland – 2330 S. Milford Rd

Holly – 1120 N Saginaw

Indian River- 3808 S. Straits

Keego Harbor – 2886 Orchard Lake Rd

Lapeer – 888 S. Main St.

Lincoln Park – 2356 Dix Hwy

Madison Heights – 29371 Dequindre Rd

Marine City – 236 Fairbanks

Midland – 917 S Saginaw Rd

Mt Clemens – 353 Gratiot Ave

Novi – 41490 Grand River

Pontiac – 1525 Baldwin Rd

Richmond – 68020 Main St

Rochester – 743 N. Main St

Romeo – 268 S. Main

Roseville – 29580 Gratiot

Royal Oak – 3201 Rochester Rd

Shelby Township – 54804 Shelby

South Lyon – 22253 Pontiac Trail

Utica – 45814 Van Dyke Ave

Walled Lake – 551 N Pontiac Trail

Warren – 26633 Hoover Rd

Warren – 23515 Ryan Rd

Waterford – 4683 Dixie Hwy

Waterford – 5608 Highland Rd

Wayne – 3007 Wayne Road S

West Bloomfield – 6931 Orchard Lake Rd

White Lake – 10531 Highland Rd

Wixom – 49062 Pontiac Trail

Ypsilanti – 101 E Michigan Ave

To make your donation more meaningful, here is a profile of a Beaumont family and how these small donations can add up to make a big difference for families who need the hospital’s services:

Laura went into labor at 23 weeks and 6 days and gave birth to triplets, Stella, Lillian and Charlie who were only 9 inches long and 1.5 pounds with only a 10% chance of survival.

Three days later, one of the NICU doctors told them one or more of the babies wouldn’t make it through the night. One of the nurses prayed with them that night, it showed how much the nurses cared about saving the babies.

Charlie was struggling with his digestive system and Dr. Nathan Novotny was going to do a procedure to try to save Charlie. The next evening, Dr. Novotny came in on his own to check on him even though he wasn’t on call. The surgery didn’t help Charlie and they took Charlie off of life support on the morning of July 20th , which was the first time they got to hold their son.

Laura and Graham were given a box of mementos, a Bereavement Box partly funded by CMN, to remember Charlie. Later on, they put on a concert in Charlie’s honor to help support the NICU and raised over $15,000 in five weeks. Now there are two brand new blanket warmers in the NICU honoring Charlie.

After Charlie’s passing, the girls were still fighting and spent the next 130 days in the NICU with multiple eye surgeries, battles with lung disease, many moments where lifesaving CPR was needed and more.

In November, Lily and Stella were able to come home on oxygen and heart monitors with both of them being over 7 pounds.

In April of 2016, Stella became very sick with pneumonia, which can be fatal to babies with their history, and had an emergency surgery for an obstructed bowel. She spent 24 days in the PICU, where they almost lost her on multiple occasions. The doctors and nurses saved Stella’s life, and they had so many visits from NICU staff on multiple occasions while they were in the PICU.

Today, the girls like Little Einsteins shows, books, their Fisher Price house, The “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and the “Wheels on the Bus” and swinging. Stella loves her speedy walker and her pacifier, while Lillian loves her baby doll.

I was visiting MJR Digital Cinemas yesterday and immediately spotted a sign highlighting the 2017 MJR Free Children’s Spring Film Festival. Woo-hoo for their free movies this spring!

The dates are as follows:

March 11 & 12 –Trolls {specific showtimes posted on March 7}

March 18 & 19 –Middle School {specific showtimes posted March 14}

March 25 & 26 –Storks {specific showtimes posted on March 21}

April 1 & 2 –Sing {specific showtimes posted on March 28}

All of these movies are FREE for children 12 and under and just $1 for adults. Tickets are available on the day of the show only; there are no advance ticket sales. Showtimes will be posted during the week of the show {typically there is a morning and early afternoon option}.

This is the perfect way to take a larger family, those on a budget or to experiment to see if your child is ready for a theater experience! { I do have to say — all three of my children – ages 2, 4 and 6, did well seeing Trolls, Storks and Sing, and I loved all three as well!}

MJR Digital Cinemas has locations in Adrian, Brighton, Chesterfield, Clinton Township, Southgate, Sterling Heights, Troy, Waterford and Westland, Michigan. A location in Warren will be opening in April as well.

The lakes, the beaches, the sunsets…There is nothing quite like summer in Pure Michigan. And after this beast of a winter, I know we all are SO ready for it.

To kick-off the official first days of summer, I would like to present to you my list of 50 ways to have a Pure Southeast Michigan Summer. Be sure to comment with where you plan to head this summer in the comments! I’m always looking for new places to venture in Southeast Michigan and beyond.